Internal-combustion engine



' Feb. 24, 1931';

H. CAMINEZ INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed March 21, 1923 muentot Patented Feb. 24, 1931 meow mama, or narrow, OHIO INTERNAL-('JQMBUSTION ENGINE Application filed latch 21, 19a. Serial No. 626,567.

I This inventionrelates to internal combustion engines, and has for its object to produce an engine of the class referred to combining maximum power and efliciency with minimum weight. The engine is of the water cooled type, of novel construction and is a radical departure from the conventional internal combustion engine now in use.

A further object of the invention is to secure compactness with minimum overall dimensions and the capability of being mounted, for example, within the wing structure of an airplane.

A further object of the invention is to so arrange the working parts of the engine as to eliminate vibrations, this being done by an exact balancing of all inertia and centrifugal forces in the same plane inwhich they occur. This enables the engine to run smoothly at all speeds; furthermore the shaft is short and stout so'that' it can have no torsional vibration or critical speed.

A further object of the invention is to pro duce an invention in which the efficiency speed of the motor is at the efficiency speed of the air screw or propeller. Further ob ects of the invention are to eliminate the necessity of the usual valvegear, cam shaft, cam shaft drive, crank shaft, crank case, connecting rods and many other parts incidental to the usual form of internal combustion engine.

With the above and other objects in ViBW, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement herein fully described, illustrated and claimed.

In the accompanying drawirr s-- Figure 1 is a view partly in e evation and partly in section of the improved en inc,"

Figure 2 is a view artly in edge e evation and partly in diametrical section of the same;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view showing 13 one of the sectors in its relation to the adjacent roller shaft.

The improved engine, n the preferred em- A bodiment thereof, comprises an inclosing casing or housing shown as embodying front and rear disk-like plates 10 connected along their peripheral edges to a cylindrical member 11 by suitable fastening devices 11a, such as bolts. Within the housing there is arranged a. circular series of cylinders 12 having the heads 13 thereof disposed inwardly toward the center of rotation of the engine. In each cylinder 12 there is mounted a reciprocatory piston 14 having rigidly connected to the outer end or shut t ereof, a sliding cross head 15 which works between parallel cross head guides 16'forming extensions of the receptive cylinder 12 and projecting outwardly in a general radial direction therefrom. Passing through each cross head 15 is a tubular shaft 17, the latter projecting at its opposite ends beyond the cross head and carrying rollers 18. The rollers 18 bear against a pair of stationary or non-rotary cams 19 of a generated type fastened by tubular dowels 20 to the front and rear plates 10 of the housin The cylinders rotate around the axis 0 the engine and between the cams l9 and within the housing. Mounted on each roller shaft 17 are two sectors 21 and passing around all of the sectors are flexible restraining members 22 shown in the form of endless cables. Four of such cables are shown, each sector being formed with two grooves to receive a pair of such cables, in order to prevent lateral or angular strain on the sectors as the pistons move outwardly and inwardly. Each sector 2-1. is mounted with a rotating fit on the respective rolling shaft 17 and capable of limited oscillatory movement around said shaft. This is done as i own in Fig. 3 by providing each sector 21 a 1th a slot 23 receiving a pin or stud 24 projecting from the shaft 17. Any other mechanical expedient may however be employed to secure the result stated. The outer ends of the cylinders 12 are pressed in relaticn to each other by interposed angular reinforced webs or members 25, as shown in ill of the cylinders 12 are connected at their inner ends or formed integrally with a sleeve 26, the latter being rotatably mounted on a tubular shaft 27 which also constitutes a manifold by means of which the explosive mixture is led to the several cylinders and the burned gases exhausted therefrom. The manifold may also serve'to conduct cooling water to and from a water jacket 28 which It will be understood that when the en ine.

is in operation an explosion occurring in a cylinder with the piston at its innermost osition will force the piston outwardly. he cables 22 will transmit this force into inward pressures upon the two adjacent pistons which will then tend to move inwardly. Inward movement however is prevented by the cam 19 unless the pistons rotate relatively to the cam. The length-of the cable 22 and the shape of cams 19 aresuch that the cable holds the rollers 18 tight against the cams 19 atall times.

My invention is not limited to a rotary engine, but may be used in similar related devices in which a force of a piston operates to cause a relative rotation of the cam and cylinder.

The power generated by the engine in the embodiment as illustrated in the drawings, is delivered through bevel gears 31 and 32 to a transmission shaft 33 arranged perpendicular to the axis of the engine and supported in ball bearings 34 mounted in an extension housing 35 at one side of the engine housing. A gear pump 36 is arranged cent-rally of one side of the engine housing and is used to force lubricating oil to the working parts of the engine. The lubrication and water coolin connections of the engine are not shown in the accompanying drawings, as they form no part of the present invention, any suitable connections being ca able of being used for the purposes mentioned. The cylinders themselves act as the water pumping means. The cold water being the more dense is thrown outwardly when led to. the rotating cylinders and the hotter water moves inwardly to the center manifold, then to the hollow shaftand from thence to the radiator, not shown. The action is similar to the thermosiphon circulation, but is there greatly enhanced by centrifugal force. A single sparlc plug 37, as shown in Figure 1, is used for all of the cylinders, being necessary only in starting the engine. Thereafter the insulator of the plug will become sufficiently hot to ignite the charges after the first few explosions. The ignition may be advanced or retarded by turning the manifold or tubular shaft by means of a suitable handle 38 se cured to one end thereof.

What I claim is- 1. In a device of the class described, in combination, a series of radial cylinders, pistons in said cylinders, a cam adjacent said cylinders, means connected to said pistons and bearing upon said cam, and flexible restraining means interconnecting said pistons whereby a force on one of said pistons is translated by said cam and restraining means into a rotational movement of a part of said engine and means for "interconnecting said restraining means and pistons comprising a member pivoted to each piston for rotational movement thereon.

2. In an engine, in combination, a series of radial cylinders, having heads at their inner ends, pistons in said cylinders, a cam at one side of said cylinders and concentric with the axis of the engine, a roller connected tosaid pistons and bearing upon said cam,

cacable inter-connecting said pistons and means for interconnecting the cable and pispiston for movement thereon.

3. In an engine, a series of cylinders arranged radially with respect to the axis of the engine and having heads at the inner ends thereof, cross-head guides extending from the outer ends of the cylinders, pistons working in said cylinders and having crossheads working in said guides, shaft-s carried by said cross-heads and having rollers at opposite sides of the cross heads, cams at opposite sides of the series of cylinders against which the rollers work, and yieldable restraining means for said pistons and crossheads, the distance between a part of one piston and a part of an adjacent piston remainmg substantially constant at all times.

4. In an engine, a series of cylinders arranged radially with respect to theaxis of the engine and having heads at the inner ends thereof, cross-head guides extending from the outer ends of the cylinders, pistons workingin said cylinders and having cross-heads workmg in said guides,shafts carried by said crossheads and having rollers at opposite sides of the cross-heads, cams at opposite sides of the series of cylinders against which .the rollers work, sectors mounted to oscillate on the cross-heads, and flexible restraining means engaging said sectors.

5. In a rotating engine, a series of cylinders arranged radially with respect to the axis of rotation of the engine and having heads at the inner ends thereof, cross-head guides extending from the outer ends of the cyhnders, pistons working in said cylinders and having cross-heads working in said guides, shafts carried by said cross-heads and having rollers at opposite sides of the cross-heads, cams at opposite sides of the series of cylinders against which the rollers work, and flexible endless restrainin means for maintaining a constant distance etween the centers of the roller shafts of adjacent tons comprising a member pivoted to each cylinders and insuring positive reciprocatory movement of the pistons.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

HAROLD CAMINEZ. 

